Pot and pan mounting apparatus



Aug. 26, 1952 w. SAGER 2,608,305

POT AND PAN MOUNTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 22, 1948 v 2 SI-IEETS--Sl-IEET l 7 F I r F I! u a f ll/l/ F- """I V v INVENTOR; Wayne L. Sager Attorney I Aug. 26, 1952 w. L. SAGER POT AND PAN MOUNTING APPARATUS 2 SHEETSSHEE'I 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1948 III - INVENTOR.

Wayne L.Sa. er Iii (i8 a Attorney Patented Aug. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

POT MOUNTING APPARATUS Wayne Ii. Sager, Grand Rapids, Mich. ApplicationNovember 22, 1948, Serial No. 61,359

The present invention relates broadly to kitchen equipment used in the storing of pots and pans, and in its specific phases to a sliding panel assembly as well as the pot and pan supporting means thereon, said pot and pan supporting means being preferably made of heavy wire shaped to hold the extending flanges of pots and pans placed thereon.

The storing of pots and pans is a problem which is present in every home having cooking facilities as well as every restaurant or other place of permanent construction wherein cooking is involved. It has been almost universal practice to have e'ye members in the ends of the handles of heavy handled cooking utensils or perforated holes in the ends of stamped metal handles, and then using these eyes or handle openings for hooking the handled utensil on nails or hooks fastened on the wall. Drawers have been used quite commonly for stacking cooking utensils, and some stoves are built with a drawer for that purpose. Open top wall racks are also used for holding some forms of pans, and quite commonly for holding covers. These procedures generally are of makeshift nature and many times are unsanitary due to being of exposed construction. However this practice is of such long standing that people have become used to it and unthinkingly put up with it even though not wholly satisfactory. It was a recognition of these conditions, and a decision that something should bedone about it, which lead to the conception and development of the present invention.

Accordingly among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a new type of pot,

pan, and cover supporting arrangement. I

Another object is to provide a sliding panel which may be mounted individually in a cabinet unit, or under a work counter with closable front, or the like, and wherein such panel carries an improved means for supporting pots, pans, and covers thereon.

Another object is to provide a wire construction rack for pots and pans, and in some cases including covers, wherein such rack holds the pots and pans by the extending flange edge of same.

Another object is to provide a wire rack construction pot and pan holder which grips the pots and pans by their extending flanged edge, and also has a member for stabilizing the handles of the pots and pans against sidewise slippage and in some cases forward tilting.

Another object is to provide a wire rack adapted to hold a series of pots and pans in V eoiaims. (01. 211-49) 2 Y nested position by gripping the extending flanged edges 01 same. 7 A still further object is to provide a pot andpan mounting apparatus adapted to hold same by means of their extending flanged edges, wherein the lower portion of said flanged edges" are cradled at two spaced apart points by such apparatus which is simple, efficient, sanitary, easily constructed, and exceptionally handy. Still further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. To the accomplishment of the foregoing-and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the pot and pan storage apparatus hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in' the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain means for carrying out the invention, such disclosed means illustrating, however, but several of various ways in which the principle of the invention.

may be used.

In the annexed drawings:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view. of an as-. sembly of a preferred combination of apparatus incorporating the present invention, and with kitchen equipment mounted thereon to illustrate its use.

Figure 2 shows an end view of the assembly illustrated in Figure 1, with kitchen equipment mounted thereon.

Figure 3 shows a side view of a preferred formof the wire construction pan andcover holder;

loaded with kitchen equipment, illustratedxin partial section, and mountedon a panel which may be either stationary or movable. 1

Figure 4 shows a side view of the wire construction pan and cover holder of Figure 3 without the pans and covers mounted thereon.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view 01' the panand cover holder illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a simplified form of the pan holder of the present invention wherein same is constructed to only hold one pan by two cir.-. cumferentially spaced points of its extending side flange.

Figure 7 shows a modification of the Figure 6 construction wherein same is formed to hold two nested pans by their extending side flanges: Figures 8 and 9 are side and front views, respectively, of the pan holder of Figure 7.

Figure 10 shows a further modification wherein the pan holder is adapted to hold three nested pans by their extending side flanges.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and sembly isshown as built into a kitchencounter variations in i the.

way and may be kept in sanitary condition.

Where the kitchen counter is sufficiently deep and an exceptional amount of pots and pans are used, the sliding panel may, if desired, be so mounted as to leave considerable clearance be tween its outer edge and the door, and in those cases additional pot and pan holders may be mounted on the inner face of the door as. is diagrammatically illustrated in the constructions shown in. Figures 3 and, 8-.

In order to show the versatility of this sliding panel construction, Figure 1 illustrates the mounting, ofv a pair of heavy pans 6 with eyes. on; the end. of, their respective heavy handles, and wherein such-v eyes engage an extending supporting pinl. A handle stabilizer 8= is preferably used in this case to hold the pans; against backward. swinging; and, also against accidental: outward sliding; onsupporting pin 1. A rack 9 for packages of:- soap ljfl, or the like, mayalso' be. provided. on panel 2.

Very commonly there is: not only the problem of: where. tor store pots; and pans in: the: kitchen,

but: also the one of storing covers for: those pots. andpans. Both: of these problems can be. readilymet': by using; the; construction illustrated in Figures:.3;,.4, and 5. This; construction, which: is inthe. form. of rack ll, basically uses a. pair of heavy wire construction right; and left side. members l2 and [3 which may be joined togetherat their point of contact M by spot welding or any other convenient procedure. The upper: end of these: side. members respectivelyhave projecting.

legs l5 and It. with eyes IT and. H3 at their end,

forfasteningsonto a wall. or panel by means of.

screws [9, or the like, Figure 3. The portion of right. and left side. members I: and I3, extending: downward from projecting legs [5 and IE;

is preferably. parallel to the wall. or. panel: on.

which the-assembly is mounted. From point of contact M, Figure 5,. these members preferably diverge-and" incline outward in a; direction which.

is:- preferably generally radial of the pan to be mounted thereon, and are. provided with downward and backward inclined slots of general hairpin construction for receiving, and stabilized double-gripping of; the extending side flangeof a- 'pot" or pan 26, all of which is facilitated by said diverging and outward inclining construction as is specifically shown. in Figure 3. These.

bent portions'terminate in lower legs 28' and 2|, the. free ends, of whichhave, eyes 22 and 23' adapted to be anchored to a wall or panel by meansv of screws 24. Where two of these hairpin. shaped. slots 25 are used per side member, thentwo pans can be mounted thereon as is;

shown ,inaFigure; 3. However, the invention isnot: limited to two; such slots since obviously one. or:

edge. of; each of, which rests on lower-legs; 2&1 and" This type of con- 2| of the assembly, thus producing a very com pact arrangement.

In order to make the assembly shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5 still more rigid while supplying a handle rest, same may be provided with an upper cross support member 28 which may be spot welded or otherwise conventionally fastened on right and left side members [2 and [3. This cross support member preferably has its ends 29 and. 30 turned outward and then toward each other a short distance to form pockets against which handles 3| of pots 26, or the like, may rest and be held against rotary movement as well as outward tilting under conditions of use.

In some cases it is not necessary to supply a cover holder, and it may be desired to only support a single. pan. To take care of this the pot and pan holder illustrated in Figure 6 may be used This construction is preferably made from a single piece of wire with an eye 32 in its upper end. From this eye the side members 33 and 3.4 diverge and; incline; outward to a. single slot: 251m each: which terminates in-legs- 35. and. 3-5 havingv eyes 31- and- 38 in their respective ends, with: all of said eyes being anohorable: to a. panel orswalllby-means of screws, or the like, as pre.- viously described.

The construction shown in: Figures 7, 8-,, and. 9 is quite similar tothat of FigureG except thata pair of slots 25" are: provided in each sidememberi so as topermit the nesting: of, two pans as: is: typically shown in Figures 1 and 2. In some; cases there are threejor more nesting pans to, a: set andin that case: the pan supporting memher; would be: provided with a corresponding, num-f ber of slots 25 ineach side member; Figure: 10,. for instance, illustrates one such construction" with. three slots in each: side: member which thus. willhold a group; of three-nesting pans.

In. actual use. the; sliding panel, as shown in: Figures 1 and 2,,wi'll have various forms of these: pan. mounting assembliesfastened thereon, and same; normally willbe mounted on both sides ofthe panel asis'ztypically shown in Figure2. The. width of the: opening; into which the panel slides; may be; varied over a. considerable range de-- pendingupon the sizev and type of. pans, etcetera, to be. carried by the. panel, but for most purposes. a space of from 1,4; to 20. inches wide will: take. care of the. pot. and pan, requirements of most;

' homes.

In preferred construction, eachv slot. of. the" pan: mounting assembly is. suitably" deep and: its open. end offset outward from the mounting. panelaa. sufficient amount to. permit the side. flange; of: a pan. to enter a considerable. distance into the. slot, as istypically shown in Figure 3;. Thewidth. of each of these slotsand' their downward angle of incline'i's' alsoprefer-ably'such that the flanges" of the pots and pansmay: be readily slid thereinto and yet in preferred construction there Will bejust a slight amount. of binding on the average pan so as to hold same tightly against rat-- tling. There isno-harmhoweverain having the slots atrifie. wider whilev inclined; suificiently to. holdthe. pans. This situation will only allow the; handle portion of' the pans. to. incline outward. sliglitly as is, typically shownby-pans5 39 in Figure Either, round; or." otherv shaped wire, preferablysteehmay be usedto makethe potand'parren gaging; unit, and for ordinary. lightweight pans." a round cross-section wire. one-eighth, inch in. diameter is generally suitable. Heavier Wire can" be. used if desired, and: round steel wire off .140.

diameter has been found very satisfactory for use in these units for holding and storing cast iron frying pans as well as light weight pans.

In actual practice, it is found that this type of construction is much more easy to use than is the old-style plan of hanging pots and pans on nails or hooks from eyes or holes in the ends or" the respective pot and pan handles. In fact, by having the present assembly in a cabinet, or a kitchen counter, the panel can be slid outward and the desired pot or pan removed without getting down on ones hands and knees, which would be necessary to pick such utensil off of a shelf under a kitchen counter. In fact this procedure is even easier than picking a pan out of a drawer, a procedure which is unsatisfactory due to piling and the denting or other injury which invariably accompanies the drawer type of pot and pan storage.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the pot and pan storage apparatus herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A pan storage apparatus including a pair of outwardly projecting side members diverging laterally in a downward direction from mounting means at its upper end, the lower end of each side member being reversely bent rearwardly and then forwardly to provide a narrow slot rearwardly of each side member with the lower terminal portion of the side member extending rearwardly below the slot with mounting means at the end thereof, the upper and lower mounting means lying in substantially the same plane and the slots in said side members bein positioned in a single are for receiving and holding the lower edge portion of the extending flange of a pan mounted thereon with the side members extending generally radially of the bottom of said pan.

2. A pan storage apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a series of reverse bends are provided at the lower end of each side member to form a series of pan flange-receiving slots with corresponding slots of the two side members arranged in successive arcs of increasing radius for the reception and nesting of pans.

3. A pan storage apparatus which has two side members formed from heavy wire, the upper portion of said side members being spaced apart, means for anchoring said side members together at the bottom of said spaced apart upper portion, said side members diverging sidewise and outward below said point of anchoring, at least one backward extending and downward inclined outward-opening hairpin shaped portion in the lower part of said outward projecting portion of each of said side members, said anchoring together of the side members stabilizing the assembly while the sidewise and outward. diverging of same results in said hairpin-shaped portions lying in a single are for the holding of the lower portion of the extending flange of a pan mounted thereon, substantially equal length upper and substantially equal length lower legs on the upper and lower ends of said side members, and means on the ends of said legs for use in anchoring said apparatus on a suitable surface, said legs being of a suitable length and spacing for use in the edgewise storing of the cover of said pin behind the diverging portion of said assembly.

4.1 pan storage apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein there is a cross support member joining the upper portion of said side members, said cross support member acting as a support for a handle on said pan.

5. A storage apparatus for nesting pans, said apparatus having two side members formed from heavy wire, the upper portion of said members being spaced apart, means for anchoring said side members together at the bottom of said spaced apart upper portion, said side members extending downward, outward, and diverging sidewise below said point of anchoring, multiple backward extending and downward inclined outward-opening closely spaced hairpin shaped portions at the lower end of the diverging portion of said side members, the slots of said hairpin shaped portions being substantially equal in depth to the amount of outward extension of the diverging portion of said side members at the corresponding hairpin shaped portion, said anchoring together of the side members stabilizing the assembly while the sidewise and outward diverging of same presents the slots of corresponding hairpin shaped portions of the side members in a single arc with succeeding corresponding slots in the side members in arcs of increasing radius for holding the lower portion of the extending flange of a pan mounted thereon, substantially equal length upper and substantially equal length lower legs on the upper and lower ends of said side members, and means on the ends of said legs for use in anchoring said apparatus on a suitable surface, said legs being of a suitable length and spacing for use in the edgewise storing of the covers for said pans behind the diverging portion of said assembly.

6. A pan storage apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein there is a cross support member rigidly joining the upper portion of said side members, the ends of said cross support member extending outward and then a short distance toward each other to form holding pockets for the handles of the pans stored on said apparatus.

WAYNE L. SAGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

